Stargate SG1 - with a new team added wink wink
by tequila girl
Summary: Stargate - with a few new characters, so the rest of us can play with


Samantha Carter is pissed. "Why do I have to deal with my cousin?!"

"Because she is not aware that your uncle, her father, has died. She has been on a dig in upstate Maine for the past 6 weeks and we have have been unable to contact her by radio. " General Hammond strives for a patient tone. " I realize that the two of you are not close, but this is something that is best coming from family."

Sam watches Daniel Jackson perk up in her peripheral vision. "Dig? Maine? What is she looking for?"

"Why can't Daniel go?" Sam is aware of her whiny tone, but jeez, her cousin Cat is the biggest pain in the ass... "Don't we have bases in New England?"

"We have leave coming up, can the whole team go with Sam?" Daniel is peering at General Hammond hopefully.

"What?!" Jack O'Neill is not a happy man. Teal'c is impassive, watching the rest of the team carefully.

"Actually, all of SG1 is going. We are hoping to convince Dr. Brooks to join the SGC as she is expert in several languages that Dr. Jackson is positive are the basis of some dialects of the Goa'uld language." Hammond is NOT winning Major Carter's respect over this one.

Daniel is frowning, "Brooks? Catherine Brooks? Isn't she the one that..."

Sam sighs, "Jumped the pyramids in Vegas with a Harley? That's her."

Jack is definitely smiling, "Wild Cat Brooks is your cousin? Excellent!"

Teal'c is obviously confused. "Wild Cat? Would someone please explain?"

In a long suffering tone Sam explains, "Cat is one of those brainy types that believes that academics shouldn't have to be stuffy. She jumped the little pyramids in Las Vegas with a big motorcycle as a publicity stunt to raise money for her research."

"Don't forget the teeny tiny spangled bikini!" Sam can actually feel her teeth grinding together. Jack is going to get a slap pretty soon...

"I cannot believe that I am actually on a plane flying to MAINE to see the biggest wise-ass in existence" 12 hours later, Sam is STILL not a happy camper.

Daniel is like a kid on his way to the candy store. "Do you know anything about her research Sam? What is she digging for? What era?"

"She's posted more stuff on the 'net about her search. It's on her university website, with a link to her name. Poly-yadda or something"

Daniel starts digging frantically for his laptop, disturbing Jack from his nap. His eyes never crack open, but the snarl is unmistakable.

Teal'c is amused at the show. "Daniel Jackson, what is this Maine like?"

Distracted, Daniel begins his lecture on the New England states ...

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Emerging from the plane, the team blinks at the blinding sun. Jack strolls down the stairs & then begins to stretch the kinks out of his back... Bending at the waist, he extends his arms forward, according Sam with a wonderful view of that tight butt. Mesmerized, she stares.

"HEY! Stick in the mud!" A blonde whirlwind flies up the tarmac, grabbing Sam & hugging her enthusiastically.

"Cat! Put me DOWN!" laughs Sam. "You are such a maniac!"

Jack, Daniel & Teal'c find themselves faced with a small blond woman, dressed in a tank top, tattered jeans & equally battered hiking boots. She eyes them up and down, then laughs. "I don't bite much. My truck is over there. Grab your stuff & lets blow this pop stand!"

"Cat this is..." "Hey, introductions while we're moving, OK? This place is not a lot of fun."

They head for a muddy Explorer. Daniel is impressed. "Usually I end up with rust buckets on digs. How'd you manage a Ford?"

"Ooh, you're Daniel Jackson, eh? I weaseled it out of the local used car dealer with a little charm. I have to return it when I leave." Jack & Teal'c introduce themselves quickly as they pile into the the truck.

All of SG1 winces as she blows out of the parking lot at roughly 50 miles an hour. The truck is not designed for that kind of 4 wheel slide when fully loaded. She chats with Daniel about the goals of her dig as she tears up the dirt road. He is fascinated with a theory of hers that she is in the process of proving and bombards her with questions. They discover some mutual colleagues and are laughing as the rest of SG1 becomes VERY nervous about her driving. They breathe a collective sigh of relief when they make it to camp in one piece.

"OK guys, there is a shower & stuff over there. Tents, sleeping bags &/or hammocks in the storage trailer. Sam, you can crash with me or take your own tent, your call." Cat strides off toward the dig.

"Cat, wait! I need to talk to you, please." She whirls, "Sam, if it's about Daddy, I already know."

"Huh? How could you?" Sam is flabbergasted.

"General Hammond already notified me when he radioed that you were coming out here."

Jack is pissed. "You mean I hauled my ass all the way across the country to tell you something you already know?"

"And a fine ass it is Jack, but George is up to his usual ulterior motives. He's trying to get me to work with you all on your 'top secret, yet VERY interesting' project."

Jack is stunned & not sure what to say, his ass is not usually a topic of conversation. (Not with him listening anyway.)

Cat sighs, shoulders drooping. "Jack, George said you like to fish. There is gear in the storage trailer& the river is about a half mile that way" she points. "Take Teal'c & go drown some worms, or something."

She turns, "Daniel, my dig is up over that hill behind you. I'll join you shortly"

She heads for her tent, "Sam? We need to talk."

Sam is amazed, watching her team break up & head for the areas that Cat 'suggested'. "How do you DO that? They NEVER just go when I say stuff like that." She wanders in & plops down on a crate opposite the one Cat is perched on.

Cat shrugs, "Men just do what I tell them. Now, what the hell are you working on that George wants me in on so desperately? And don't give me the 'classified' BS"

Sam grins, "I can't. You know that . You have to talk to General Hammond for that one, but I think you'll be pretty interested. Talk to him about it." Serious now, "Are you OK about Uncle John?"

Cat shrugs, "Not really, but we've been estranged for so long... & George said it was a blessing in the end. He was in a lot of pain." They chat for a bit longer about family stuff. Never one to dwell on things she finds troublesome, Cat grins. "OK, so what's up with you and Colonel Eye Candy? I saw you oogling his butt at the airport"

Sam blushes, "Nothing, he's my boss. You are SUCH a JERK."

Cat smirks at her. "You want his tasty bod all for yourself doncha? Bet he's a MACHINE in bed. Big huge cock, those strong hands... Wonder if he knows what to do with that mouth of his..."

"CAT! STOP IT!" Sam is about the die of embarrassment. "This is EXACTLY why I HATE you!"

"So you haven't even thought about it? Done a package check? Nothing?" Cat is amazed. "So are you hopping on Daniel? Or Teal'c? What's with that awful hat anyway?"

"This is exactly why I didn't want to come out here & deal with your annoying ass Alley Cat!" They start giggling hysterically at the childhood nickname.

"Oh but you want to know. Why haven't you tried?"

Abruptly Sam sobers, " Air force regs say I can't sleep with my commanding officer & the guys are just friends."

Cat smirks, "Then can I borrow Daniel's tasty self for awhile? He is HOT and there is some serious brainpower in that man. Might be worth checking out your project if I could hop on him! Now there is a nice butt..."

Noise of a throat clearing They turn to see a VERY red-faced Daniel Jackson at the entrance to the tent. Sam is about DIE of embarrassment, she has NO IDEA how much of that conversation Daniel heard.

"Um, I was going to ask if I could read your dig journals Cat, but I think I will just..."

"What?" She grins at him. "You don't like me talking about hopping on you?"

He fumbles, unsure what to say to her. "Uh, I..."

She sobers, "I won't rip your clothes off unless you are a willing participant, Daniel. Don't worry about it. I'm sorry to put you in an awkward situation. My dig journals are on the desk over there." She points behind him.

As Daniel leaves, Sam gawks at her. "That was really sensitive of you. Are you OK?"

Defensively Cat shrugs. "I like him, he reminds me of me when I was in school. All serious & studious with no idea of how sexy he is." She winks, "Of course I figured mine out when I started working at the strip club for my doctoral thesis..."

Daniel sticks his back in the tent, "You did WHAT for your thesis?"

She sticks her tongue out at him. "I will only tell you over dinner, and YOU have to buy."

He blushes again & awkwardly pushes up his glasses as he backs up quickly. "Umm..."

The women laugh, then fall into discussion, catching up with each other as they have not talked in over a year...

Several hours later - "Hey Sam! Cat ! Check out what we caught!" Jack is extremely proud of the ugliest bunch of fish the women have ever seen dangling from his fingers as he pushes into the tent. "Look, dinner!"

They get all girly "Eww! Get that OUT of my TENT!" They chase him outside & glare.

Teal'c smiles, "This was entirely Colonel O'Neill's work, I merely observed."

Daniel arrives over the brow of the hill at a dead run, worried about the shrieking.

Carter is grimacing, "That's gross. I am not cleaning fish, not even for you !"

Jack smirks, "Carter you wuss."

She swats him. "Not even under orders, sir"

During the exchange Cat realizes that Daniel is watching her with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Gotcha!" She thinks.

Daniel is not sure what to do with a woman who announces that she finds him "hot". He's usually the geek in the group. Women go for Jack's type. Big manly leaders, not the smart guy with the glasses. But it is pretty arousing to have a beautiful intelligent woman checking out his butt. No one since Sha'Re had been so blatantly attracted to him . He's going to have think about this, Cat is a MAJOR complication in his quiet academic world. (HA! Like it's been quiet since joining SG1!)

The fish are cleaned, & dinner is served around the campfire. They are joined by Trina, one of the graduate students working with Cat. She chats easily with Teal'c who seems facinated by her bright red hair & green eyes. She is flirting with him shamelessly.

Jack is curious. "I thought you would have more people working with you. Is Trina the only one?"

Cat smirks, "No, but Nickleback is playing in Portland, the rest of the crew went to the show" She is busy flirting with Daniel while discussing archeological theory. Daniel rarely finds anyone who is actually interested in his theories & can converse intelligently about the subject. He's finding her brain as arousing as the rest of her. She is excited that he understands her theories!

Teal'c asks Trina, "Are you not interested in this Nickleback?"

"Not really. Have you seen the view from the top of the big hill?" Never one to waste time, she take him by the hand & leads him away.

Jack is not sure what to do... "Is she going to .. Y'know?"

Cat is amused yet again. "She will try, but it is ultimately his choice as to what happens." She winks, "Trina likes big men."

Jack isn't sure, "Maybe I should go check on him..." He starts after them

Willing to take any time alone with him that she can get, Carter offers. "I'll go with you sir"

Cat winks at her and mouths a few obscene suggestions. Sam blushes & heads after Jack.

"WUSSY!" Cat isn't willing to be nice.

Daniel is VERY nervous being left alone with Cat. He's itchy & horny but not sure whether he wants to go through with this.

Cat is trying not to laugh watching the expressions flit across his face. Nonchalantly, "So do you want to take a look at my dig notes some more or just fool around a little?"

"Uh... I ..." He stands up, intending to go after his team. She's been driving him crazy with those suggestive looks all through dinner.

She sidles over to him. Softly, just breath away from his mouth. "What, no kissing?" Nibbles his bottom lip just tiny bit & slides her hands over his chest, just grazing his nipples. She slants her mouth across his, dipping her tongue against the seam of his lips. Nibbling just coaxing, as she feels her blood being to boil at the taste of him.

Daniel groans, responding to her by dragging his fingers through her hair & tilting her head so he can plunder her mouth. She whimpers, fighting to get her hands under his shirt and moans as she finds his skin, sliding her palms up over his back. He begins to work his hands under her shirt as Jack crashes back into the clearing. "What the hell?"

Daniel is flustered as he pulls back from Cat. She doesn't let him totally free from her embrace though. She smirks at Jack, "It's called foreplay. Why don't you try it sometime?" As he gapes at her, she grabs a speechless Daniel by the hand & leads him to her tent. She winks over her shoulder at Sam. "GO FOR IT" she mouths at her.

Jack isn't sure what to do. He'd just seen Trina with her tongue down Teal'c throat & decided he really didn't want to know. Two members of his team are getting lucky & he's stuck here with Carter... "Whoa!" He thinks as he looks at her. "Carter, who is getting some very interesting ideas."

Sam is trying to decide how to approach this. "Um... Oh the hell with it." She grabs Jack by the front of his shirt and begins to kiss him passionately. All of his blood pools in his lap as she strokes the front of his jeans. She pulls back & looks him on the eye. "I think we should find a space of our own, don't you?" Jack is willing to go anywhere, as long as she keeps stroking him like that... They head for a tent, with their hands & mouths all over each other.

Meanwhile, standing in the entrance of the tent, Daniel is starting to realize what is about to happen and is very unsure what to do, as he does not make a habit of this. Cat, realizing that he is getting nervous, turns to him.

"Don't do this much do you, huh?"

He smiles a little, "No. I'm just not sure..."

She holds up her hand. "Hey, neither do I! I don't want you to tie yourself up in knots about this. No strings, I just want to be with you 'cuz I haven't felt like this about anyone in a long time. If you are not comfortable with this we can stop." - /'Please don't make me stop!', she thinks./

He is still unsure... "Umm... I just lost my wife & I am not ready to let anyone get that close to me yet."

She laughs, "Daniel, I'm not picking china patterns out, I'm just asking for tonight! Do you always think so hard about everything?!"

He smiles back at her, disheveled & beautiful as he pushes his glasses back up his nose. "Well yeah, actually, I do."

She holds out a hand to him. "Try not thinking for a couple of minutes. Just feel."

He takes her hand. She tugs him to her, sliding her arms around his waist & just holds him in a loose hug as he adjusts to having a woman that close to him again. With a sigh, he wraps her in his arms & surrenders, kissing the offered mouth softly. Realizing that he needs sweetness rather than passion, she slows down, pulling his glasses off, & places them on a crate. Then just sways with him, kissing & nibbling, sliding her hands into his shirt, stroking his back. He cups her face, groaning as she scratches him gently. Bodies heat as their passion rises. Clothes become a unwanted barrier as they tug shirts off, gasping at the sensations of bare flesh meeting. He begins to nudge her toward her sleeping pallet, with deep kisses & stroking hands.

Shoes are toed off on the way, their remaining clothes shoved aside, they are totally nude when they make it to the pallet. Catching her heel on the edge, she tumbles back with a breathless giggle. He tries to catch her, but ends up falling down too. She wraps her arms around him and laughs as she rolls him onto his back. She seeks his mouth., then nibbles her way across his face to a tender spot on his neck, making him moan & shudder. He strokes her as she kisses her way down his body, exploring his throat, sucking at his nipples. Skating her fingers along his ribs, his hip, she slides her palm over his straining cock.

"Mmmm", he groans. "More"

Kissing his hip, she smiles, "More what?" Flicking her tongue over the weeping tip, she begins to lick & suck him in earnest. He thrashes at the sensations, but is frustrated that he can't touch her. He grabs at her head, trying to still her movements.

Puzzled, she looks up. "Turn around", he moans. "I want to taste you, too."

She smiles, shifting so she is on top of him in a 69. He dives in, licking her slit as she sucks him deeper into her throat. They each begin to use fingers, lips and tongues to drive the other wild.. Pleasure builds in huge crashing waves as they become more & more frantic. She goes over first, crying out her pleasure. He brings her off several times, then tips her off him, turns to get between her legs & rams himself in to the hilt.

She shatters, clamping her legs around his waist, arching her back & pinching his nipples at the same time. The ride is wild! He explodes suddenly, roaring his pleasure & collapsing onto her. After a few minutes of afterglow, they snuggle up, pulling the blankets over themselves & fall asleep.

Cat wakes the next morning to an unfamiliar sensation. There is a body snuggled up to her back, and an arm thrown over her. At first, she is tense & disoriented, but as the sensations of a VERY aroused male tucked between her butt cheeks registers, she smiles. Daniel is kneading her belly in small circles and nuzzling the back of her neck.

She relaxes & settles back, fitting him to her more tightly. "Good morning."

She feels his smile. "I'm working on that. You took forever to wake up you know."

She laughs, "I sleep through everything but alarms and someone saying my name. Comes from living on military bases so long." She moans as he sucks on her neck. "I think you've found a new way to wake me though."

He takes it slow this morning, silken caresses, soft kisses, murmured words of pleasure flow quickly into that explosive passion. This time is even more intense than last night. Cries of pleasure are quickly muffled as they hear sounds of the rest of the camp waking up. After a brief cuddle, they get up & begin to dress.

Cat is uncharacteristically silent, stunned by all of it. For all her wildness, she's been looking for someone who excites her physically & intellectually. /'Figures I find him & he works for the military!' she thinks./ For a normally confident woman, she is not sure what to do next, Daniel has touched her heart in a way she didn't think was possible in so short of a time. She wants more than he is ready to give & knows that she can screw this up all too easily.

Daniel isn't sure what to say to her either as he starts for the tent flaps. "I, uh, should find my team." /'And do some serious thinking about this!' / She is not what he expected, & he's pretty rattled by his feelings.

"Daniel, wait.", she is very serious. "I need to ask you something."

He freezes, not sure what she is going to ask.

She takes a deep breath & starts, "General Hammond wants me to go in to talk to him about a potential job on the project your team is attached to. Now, I don't know much about it, but I know he's looking at my linguistic skills. Does that mean we'd be working together?"

Daniel nods. "I can't tell you much until you get clearance, but yeah some."

"Are you OK with that? Or would you prefer that I not come? Not to be a cliché, but I don't do this much" She gestures to the bed. "And it's important we're clear on everything." Her head is bent she scuffs her foot on the ground

"Clear on everything?" Daniel is confused.

"I'd like to see you again. See if this can be something real, but I don't want to show up in Colorado & have you think I am stalking you or something."

/'She is really nervous. This is that important to her.', Daniel realizes./ He walks back to her. "Cat? Look at me, please?" She looks up. "I'd like that too. This is pretty intense emotionally for me too. Maybe I can take you out to dinner & we can try taking it slow?"

Her smile is watery as she meets his eyes. "Yes, please."

He enfolds her in a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You're a big fraud aren't you? For all your wild reputation, you're a big marshmallow inside."

She burrows in against him, her voice muffled. "Please don't tell anyone? Not too many people know & I'd hate to screw up my bad ass rep."

He laughs as he swats her butt. "Your secret is safe with me. C'mon, I smell bacon frying."

They walk out of the tent companionably, holding hands & laughing.

Sam eyes them carefully. /'Doesn't look like she's hurt Daniel, yet.'/ "Morning, coffee is on the fire.", she gestures toward it. Jack & Teal'c are chowing down on eggs & bacon supplied by a local farmer.. They grunt at the pair & return their attention to their plates.

Cat eyes her warily as Daniel heads for the pot. "Cat?" He calls. "Want some?"

Still watching her cousin she replies, "Yeah, please. Black is fine."

He hands her a cup and wanders over to investigate the food situation. Sam watches him go & then turns on Cat. " So help me, if you hurt him..."

Cat is furious. "Did it ever occur to you that he can hurt ME too?"

"PUH- leeze, give me a break. You hurt people all the time." Sam is cynical, having been trampled enough times by her wayward cousin's careless handling of her feelings.

"Look, I can't take back anything I've said & done. I know I've screwed up with you & pretty much everyone else I have ever cared about. I love you Sam. All I can do is tell you I am sorry & hope that you will eventually see that I have really grown up." Cat walks away, shoulder slumped. Sam watches her go, shock written all over her face.

Daniel wanders back, sipping his coffee.. "Not the person you told me about back at the SGC, huh? By the way, she told me that General Hammond wants to talk to her about joining the project we work on. She offered to turn the job down if it would freak me out having to work with her."

Sam is totally speechless. She sputters, finding her voice. "She has no idea what she is turning down, so it's not like it's a big sacrifice or anything."

Daniel shrugs, " She's figured out that it has to do with her linguistic skills. Considering that she specializes in dead languages & has read my previous papers, I think she has a pretty good idea." He heads toward the showers, grabbing his backpack on the way.

Jack watches the by-play & wanders up to Sam. He slings an arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead, he comments. "Confusing, eh? Looks like she and Daniel clicked pretty fast." He is a happy guy, last night with Sam had been amazing. The woman has the greatest imagination & flexibility! Thing are going to the complicated when they get back, but for now...

Sam turns, burrowing into his side. Being able to touch him is a luxury that she will not be allowed when they head back to Colorado. Already, last night seems like a dream. She can't believe that she actually jumped her CO & he LIKED it! She is so confused, Jack is pretty affectionate today & Cat turns out to have totally changed.

Teal'c decides that discretion is needed & goes to see if Cat is OK. He finds her sitting on top of the hill, staring at the mountains, tears running down her face.

"CatherineBrooks? May I join you?"

Started she jumps, "Uh, sure if you want. But I'm not very good company right now."

Teal'c settles down next to her. "You seem upset."

She sniffs, rubbing her eyes. "That obvious, huh?"

"What is the problem?"

" My cousin hates me and I think I just fell in love with a guy who is going to trample my heart into little tiny pieces." Cat is unsuccessful at stopping the tears.

Sam, following Teal'c, stops short, horrified that Cat thinks that!

Teal'c is confused, "Why do you think that Major Carter hates you?"

"She thinks that I am going to hurt Daniel & she's still mad at me for stuff I screwed up when I was younger." She drops her head to her knees, hiding her face & weeping uncontrollably

Teal'c is not sure what to do. Sam rests a hand on his shoulder & gestures to him to let her talk to Cat. He leaves as quickly & quietly as he can manage. She settles down & lets Cat cry it out. Eventually, Cat raises her head, about to apologize to Teal'c & catches sight of Sam. "Oh Christ, why are you here?" She tries to get up but Sam restrains her with a hand on her arm.

"Cat, I don't hate you. Why do you think that?"

Cat is dumbfounded, "You never want me around you at family stuff & never reply to any letters or e-mails I send. You just accused me of hurting Daniel without any thought that he can hurt me too. You don't want me to go to Colorado, do you?"

Sam is equally shocked, "You haven't gone to a family function since you got your first PhD.! I never got any letters or e-mails., where did you send them to?."

Cat mumbles through her hands. "I only got the first freakin' PhD so I'd have something to talk to you about. At least school would've been a common subject. I used the contact information that Daddy gave me."

Sam is slow to respond. "Uncle John had a really old address for me. We just figured that out a few months ago. You went to school because of me?" A bunch of huge shocks all in one day. "Look as for Daniel, I'm sorry. He told me that you offered to turn the job down so he wouldn't feel crowded."

Cat peeks at her. "I meant it you know. I really like him a lot, more than I expected to so quickly. I really don't want to screw it up. He's been hurt before, hasn't he?"

Sam nods. "He'll tell you the rest, but that is why I ripped into you. He's a great guy & I get really protective of him."

"How do you feel about me going to Colorado?"

"Nervous", Sam smirks. "You have a tendency to turn my life upside down, you know."

"Would you prefer that I not go?" Cat really needs to be sure.

Sam decides to be honest. "Kind of, but you will be a huge asset to the project. I think you & I need to start getting to know each other better. I obviously have a pretty skewed opinion of you."

She stands, grabs Cat's hand & pulls her to her feet. "Look, fly out when you close the dig & meet with the General. Make your own decisions, based on what you want. Let me know when you are flying out, you can stay with me. We'll start there, OK?" She starts toward camp.

"OK", Cat is really shredded. She plods along in Sam's footstep, too tired to fight anymore. She drags into her tent & falls on the pallet. The pillow she lands on smells like Daniel's skin, she hugs it to her & tries to relax enough to fall asleep.

Trina & the rest of the dig team are worried. They have never seen Cat that low before. They converse in quiet voices as they catalog the artifacts that were dug up earlier. Daniel listens to them without comment, then turns on his heel, strides off looking for Carter.

He finds her heading for the showers. "Sam, what happened?"

She is equally exhausted. "Family baggage. Stuff that I didn't even know she was carrying."

He fidgets, "Is she still going to come to Colorado?"

She looks at him carefully. "I think so. Are you OK with that?"

He relaxes a bit & smiles, "Yeah, she's pretty special. I'd like to see if we can make something of this chemistry."

Sam is floored. "Are you sure? You just met her yesterday!"

He smiles, "I know, pretty amazing isn't it?", looking around. "Where is she?"

"Not that I know her very well anymore, but when we were younger she would go to sleep after an emotional outburst like that. You might want to check her tent."

Daniel frowns. "Her kids were saying that she's been acting pretty strange since we came here. She's usually pretty even tempered. They said she wasn't like this even after she got the news about her dad."

Sam sighs, "Like I said, family stuff. Try her tent."

Following Sam's advice, Daniel heads back. He finds Cat curled into a ball, dozing fitfully. Unsure if he should intrude, he starts to back out. She wakes a bit ,"Daniel?"

"Yes" He kneels next to the pallet.

Her expression is so self-pitying, it is almost comical. "Sorry about all this. Not a good way to start anything, huh?"

He smoothes her hair. "It's OK, really. Do you want me to stay?"

"Would you?" She peeks at him anxiously, scooting over to make room for him. He pulls her shoes off, kicks off his own & climbs in. He pulls her close, cuddling & soothing her until they both fall asleep.

Later on, Jack kicks them out of bed to go swimming with the whole crew. Cat is better, laughing easily at the group's antics, but Sam notices that she is very careful about what she says & does. Daniel is very protective, realizing that Cat is still pretty shaky emotionally.

The rest of the week is calmer. Cat & Daniel are working out their feelings, testing out if they are ready for a relationship. Jack & Sam are trying to redefine theirs. Teal'c is busy trying to hold Trina off as gently as possible, much to the amusement of their friends.

At the end, the SG1 members regretfully pack for their flight, scheduled for later that afternoon.

Sam seeks out Cat for a quick chat. "Hey, just thought I would drop off my contact information for you. When do you plan to come out?"

"Beginning of next month, they will have my security clearance ready by then. Do you have room for me? I can always rent a room & charge it to the government, you know."

Sam smiles sadly. "It's like that, huh?"

Cat flinches a bit "Yeah."

"Will you see Daniel?"

Cat sighs, "We have plans to go out for dinner. Try to take a few slow steps after this week."

"Look, I need to ask you one favor. Don't say anything about Jack & me to anyone, please?"

She gets snarl for that one. "Look, you two are happy together. I know about the military & their stupid rules. Do you honestly think I would screw that up for you?!"

Sam shifts her feet uneasily. "No, but I am very nervous about all of this. We're going to get thrown out of the military if anyone catches wind of this."

"Is that such a big deal?" Cat can't fathom worrying about a career over matters of the heart.

"Wait until you see what we are working on. You'll understand." Sam heads out looking for the rest of the team.

Goodbyes are tough. Like high school kids, Daniel leaves Cat a favorite shirt of his. She gives him a talisman necklace that she found in a dig years ago & usually wears. They confirm their dinner date carefully as they are unloading the truck.

Jack is visibly impatient with them. "C'mon, plane to catch people!"

The flight takes off on time, much to Cat's disgust.

ONE MONTH LATER

Cat is nervous, waiting in General Hammond's office. She is dressed in a suit, hair coiled neatly. Miles away from the wild haired scamp George remembers meeting years back. He is amused at the thought as he enters.

"Dr. Brooks?" She jumps visibly & rises to her feet.

"General"

They shake hands & he gestures to the chair, "Have a seat. Do you know why you are here?"

"I assume that this is a job offer you mentioned earlier."

"It is, let me just clarify that whatever is discussed from this point on is classified. We have cleared you for this level of information. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Hammond outlines the job as a linguist on an SG team, & the Stargate program. Cat's eyes get bigger & bigger the more he talks. Her mouth is hanging open. As he finishes, he asks, "Would you like a tour of the facility?"

She laughs, "You bet! I need to see all of this for myself."

He escorts her through the facility, stopping at the control room to look through at the room where the Stargate is located. She is shaking her head in amazement. Suddenly the alarm sounds & the gate engages, SG1 & SG3 tumble through filthy & laughing, armed to the teeth.

Hammond comments, "You've met SG1. SG3 is the team that needs a new linguist."

She turns, "New linguist? What happened to the old one?"

Hammond chuckles, "He fell in love & refused to come back. He was a civilian, so I couldn't do much about it."

"Oh, phew". She is relieved. The reality of all the weaponry is a bit worrisome to her.

Suddenly, Daniel looks up & meets her eyes. He stops short, startled. Sam bangs into him & then looks up to see what has distracted him. She waves at Cat.

She turns to the General. "Can I go down there & say 'Hi'?"

"Sure", he gestures toward a door. "The stairs are over there."

She hops down to hug her cousin. "This is SO cool! No wonder you wanted me to come in!"

"Cat! Your suit! I'm filthy!"

"Eh, no big. It'll dry clean." Shyly, "Hi Daniel"

"Hi yourself. What do you think so far?" He's worried about being fully armed while talking to her, but she seems OK with all of it.

"Pretty neat actually. I'm getting a major hard sell that I should join." She turns, "Hi Jack. Teal'c"

They greet her as they head for the showers.

General Hammond joins them. " I'd like Dr. Brooks to join you for the debrief."

Jack frowns, mid-stride. "If you want to, sir."

Cat is amused. "I've been given the necessary clearance Colonel. I won't blab anything to the Russians."

He scowls at her & keeps walking.

Sam quickly introduces her to the members of SG3.

Colonel Woods isn't impressed & asks Daniel in Latin. "Why can't we have a guy for an interpreter?"

Cat looks at him & responds in the same language. "Because I'm the only one who can put up with your crap."

He laughs & reverts to English. "OK then, see you in the debrief." The room empties as the teams head for the showers & the infirmary.

Daniel is impressed. "That was smooth. He's usually worse than Jack on his interpreters."

She grins at him. "I can deal with guys like him. It's guys like you that make me nervous."

He is heading for the door, where Hammond is her, but stops to look at her. " ME? Why?"

"Can't talk you in circles with archeological theory until you give up & let me do what I want. You actually understand what I am saying!"

He is laughing as he heads to the showers. Hammond is curious. "What is so funny?"

"Can't bore him to death with my theories. He understands what I am talking about!"

Hammond is amused. "That would be a new thing for Dr. Jackson, having someone understand his theories ."

The debrief runs as normal. Jack is ticked off at some screw-up, but at least no one was hurt on this mission. The group is given 72 hours downtime & sent home. Hammond escorts Cat back to his office.

"Well, Dr. Brooks? We've covered everything, including salary & benefits. Are you interested?"

"Do you steamroll all of your civilians, General?"

"No Ma'am. Just you. We really need you now,"

Cat is wary. "Don't I have to go through training or something, first?"

Hammond is unyielding. "My understanding is that you are currently a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do & have a license to carry a firearm in Maine. We can train you on the larger weapons pretty quickly. Your language expertise is something we need immediately "

"Damn, you have researched me pretty carefully. Yes, I am interested, but I need to move here and get settled. I can get an apartment rented in the next week or so & get packed pretty quickly. Three weeks at the most?" Cat isn't sure she can meet that deadline, but she will try.

"Excellent. The government will pay your moving expenses. We'll have an office set up for you on base for your work & there are several apartment buildings near to the base. I can have someone check on availability while we complete your paperwork."

Daniel and Sam are waiting impatiently to see if Cat has decided to take the job or not. She arrives at the parking lot with a military issue backpack slung over her shoulder & a huge grin. "Hey! Were you waiting for me?"

Sam smiles at her. "Yup, waiting to see if you needed a ride & if you took the job."

Cat gestures to the backpack. "Does this answer the job question? I start in 3 weeks."

Daniel says "That's great! Do you want to go out & celebrate?"

"Sure, I can follow you guys. I rented a car so I wouldn't have to bug anyone for rides."

Sam frowns, "I could've..."

Cat interrupts, "I knew if I took the job, I'd have to look for an apartment & furniture in the next couple of days. I wasn't sure if you'd be free or not."

Sam relaxes a bit. "Well, why don't we all just go to my place? We can order take-out & just hang there."

"Sure, I still need to follow you though. I can navigate Boston, but I get totally lost here." She turns, "Daniel? Will you come too?"

He smiles at her, curling her toes. "Yes. I'll stop & get some wine on the way. Is that OK with you both?"

They agree & then Cat asks, "Can Jack & Teal'c come? Or is that taboo?"

Sam smiles, "No, great idea actually. Daniel, would you please call Teal'c? I'll call Jack."

"Actually, I'll go back in & get them. They were intending to watch a hockey game in Teal'c quarters. See you in a few."

Cat watches him as he strides away. Her expression is wistful.

Sam pokes her. "Got it bad, huh?"

"Yes. About as you have it for Mr. Eye Candy ."

Sam looks blank, "Huh?"

"Well I can't call him 'Colonel Eye Candy' on base now that I work there, now can I ?" Sam swats her & laughs.

They collect up at Sam's & order pizzas. Jack is happy, he usually has to put up with Chinese. Cat caught the expression on his face when they were deciding & voted with him. He likes when he gets his way.

While they are waiting for the pies to be delivered, she excuses herself to go change out of her suit. Just as she unzips her skirt, Daniel taps on the door "Need any help?", as he eases in, shuts the door & leans his back up against it.

She smiles at him as she sits on the edge of the bed. "I thought we were going to take this slow?"

He smirks, "We are. We're still wearing clothes, right?"

"True, but I think Sam will kill us if we don't show back up quickly." She slides her skirt down & starts to roll her stockings down her legs.

He groans watching her. "Do you always wear thigh-highs under a skirt?"

She winks at him. "Always." She stands and tugs her blouse over her head. Quickly she scoots into jeans & a t-shirt, leaving her feet bare.

He watches the whole show silently, eyes dilating & his pants starting to strain at the zipper.

She plasters herself against him, "Is that for me?" He grabs her quickly, sliding his hands down, cupping her ass & pulling her as close as they can get while vertical. They kiss frantically, as if they've been apart for years, instead of weeks.

Sam pounds on the door. "Hey! None of that! The pizza is here & getting cold!" They break apart, panting.

"When will you have your own place?" He growls.

She smiles "Soon, I'm looking all tomorrow. I have a list of suggestions from General Hammond's secretary. I'll pick up furniture here, so I'll have my own bed pretty quickly."

He frowns a little, "Can I see the list?"

"Sure." She grabs it out of her backpack on their way to the kitchen.

They proceed to polish off several giant pizzas & have a lot of wine. Daniel, Jack & Sam peruse the list of apartment suggestions while eating, making suggestions as to which Cat should check first. Three buildings are within walking distance of Daniel's apartment. He checks them off as the ones to look at first. Sam scowls at him & checks off the 2 near her house. Cat laughs & takes the list away.

"I will look at all of them tomorrow. I promise."

She looks at Teal'c, who is still wearing his hat. "I have seen the mark on your forehead you know. You can take the hat off if it bothers you."

He inclines his head & removes the hat. "Thank you CatherineBrooks."

She is curious & begins to ask him questions about the mark & his culture as they clean up the debris. He patiently answers them all. The group moves into Sam's living room where Jack & Sam cuddle up on the couch. Teal'c sits in one of the end chairs, Daniel in the other. Unthinking, Cat curls up in his lap, still chattering at Teal'c the whole time. Daniel freezes a bit, not used to acting like this in front of his friends.

She tenses, & begins to move. "Sorry".

He hugs her, "No don't get up. I'm just not used to this anymore. It takes a bit of readjustment."

She settles & they all chat late into the evening. Eventually, she falls asleep with her face tucked into Daniel's neck. He grins at Sam, "Do I have to put her to bed alone?"

She sighs, "I guess not." Daniel doesn't wait for her to change her mind. He stands, cradling Cat & heads for the bedroom.

Jack is psyched, "Can I stay too?"

She frowns, "Teal'c do you mind sleeping on the couch?"

"I do not."

Jack doesn't wait, he scoops Sam up & heads for her bedroom as fast as he can. Luckily for all of them, Teal'c is a sound sleeper & is not disturbed by the sounds of passion emanating from the bedrooms.

The next morning passes in a whirl of activity as the guys head for their respective homes. Sam & Cat head out to look at the apartments on the list. After checking a few, they find one that is almost exactly in the middle between Sam's house & Daniel's apartment. It's a huge loft-like space, with a whole wall of bookcases and the rent is reasonable. The paperwork is signed on the spot & keys turned over. Cat is ecstatic with it, what more could she ask for? The women head for a discount store to pick up furniture and arrange to have everything delivered later that afternoon. Cat will ship out all her books, linens and clothes when she heads back. Exhausted, they head for a local pub for lunch & a pint. As they settle into their booth, Jack and Daniel saunter in.

Cat raises an eyebrow at Sam, "Why do I feel like we've been under surveillance for the past few hours?"

"Probably because we were." Sam scoots over to let Jack slide in next to her.

Cat makes a face at Daniel and moves to let him sit. "Have you been following us all morning?"

He kisses her slowly, until her blood is on fire, then leans back smiling. "Yes. I liked the bed you picked out. King-size wasn't it?"

She scowls at him while Sam and Jack try not to make goo-goo eyes at each other in public. The arrival of the waitress cuts the tension for a bit. They order drinks and food while chatting over the events of the morning. Daniel is very pleased at Cat's choices and is obviously impatient for her to complete her cross-country move.

After eating, they all troop back to her new place to let the guys inspect and to await the furniture delivery. Daniel is thoughtful, looking at the space. "Are there anymore places available in this building?"

Cat eyes him, "I don't know, but do you think that is a good idea?"

He shrugs, "I haven't the faintest idea, but the space in here is great."

The delivery men arrive with the furniture. They haul everything in and are extremely patient while Cat decides the placement. Finally satisfied, she gives them a great tip as they head out the door.

Jack rocks onto his toes a few times. "Now what?"

Cat smiles at him. "Now I pack up my stuff at Sam's. After I borrow her 'phone to get the utilities hooked up and make plane reservations."

Daniel is upset. "Reservations?" Sam echoes the question, frowning.

She hugs him. "So I can go back to Boston and pack all my crap up. That way I can come back here faster. General Hammond gave me three weeks to get all of this sorted out." She winks at Sam, " I think I might actually meet a deadline for once!"

Quick as a whirlwind she gets them into their cars and heading to Sam's. 'Phone calls made, she smiles at Daniel. "Flight tomorrow AM. I should be able to get my stuff packed up pretty quickly and hire a mover to get it out here. I'm hoping to be back in less than 2 weeks."

He scowls at her, "Tomorrow? Two weeks? I don't like this."

Sam is not pleased either. "Our leave doesn't end until Monday. Can't you stay?"

Jack, wrapped up in a hockey game, is oblivious.

Cat sighs, "Look, I want to start my new life here. The fastest way I can see to do that is to go back East and close up my life there. Kind of like a dig, you know?" She turns to Daniel, "I'm sorry. I'm impatient, forgive me?"

He softens at her words, "For now, you still owe me a dinner." He strokes her cheek as she smiles at him and snuggles into his arms.

She peeks at Sam, who is still annoyed. "Sam? I really want to be near you and try to sort out our misconceptions of each other. Something that I want to start sooner than later . Can you try to understand?"

"I'm trying to."

Cat hugs her, "Thank you."

They decide to go out to dinner and end up dancing until early in the morning. Cat is frazzled and hung over trying to get her bag packed. She makes the plane by the skin of her teeth.

TWELVE DAYS LATER

She had been ruthless in her packing and managed to get a mover to haul her stuff across country at short notice. It'd been expensive, but General Hammond authorized the costs. All her old furniture was donated, friends hugged good-bye. She flies back and is in the process of unpacking when her doorbell rings. As she opens the door, she finds a smiling Daniel Jackson holding a bouquet.

"Hi" She smiles at him as she takes the the flowers. "C'mon in"

He grins at her, "Nice shirt. Looks familiar!"

She blushes a little, "Yeah, it's yours. I was thinking about you." Peering at him. "Nice necklace"

"Touché!" He wanders in and discovers that she is well on her way to settling in. Her books & artifacts are mostly unpacked, bed made, food stocked in the pantry.

She fills a pitcher with water and puts the flowers in. "Kick off your shoes, take off your coat, stay awhile." She's been watching him with a small smile on her face.

He turns as he steps out of his shoes and catches the mischievous expression. Unsure why she is amused. "What's up?"

She walks over & wraps her arms around his neck. "When do you have to go back to work?"

He slides his hands down her back to her waist. "Day after tomorrow, why?"

Her hands slide slowly down to the buttons of his shirt and start to unfasten them. "Then you won't be needing this until then, will you?"

He gets into the game and slides her shirt over her head. "And you won't need this."

Stroking hands and passionate kisses are heating them up quickly. She unbuttons his jeans and slides her hands in to caress his cock. He moans as she starts to ease the soft denim down his legs, kissing her way down his chest as she follows the material down. He braces against the kitchen counter and moans as she nuzzles his belly, kissing it gently and teases him by rubbing her cheek against his skin and just breathing in his scent. She kisses along his appendectomy scar, making him squirm.

He reaches down to cradle her head, & coaxes her to her feet. He kisses her until she melts against him bonelessly. Scooping her up, he kicks free of his jeans & heads for her bed. Tumbling onto its wide surface, he begins heating her up slowly. Finally they can take all the time they want to explore each other's bodies! Trapping her hands above her head he kisses her, seducing her with just his talented mouth. Pinned under his body, she begins to whimper & beg for him to free her hands. She is desperate to touch his skin. She can feel his belly glide against hers, driving her wild. He chuckles & continues to hold her in place.

She pulls her mouth free to plead with him, "Daniel, please! Let me touch you!"

He finally relents & frees her hands. She begins to stroke his back, learning the texture of his skin. Exploring his body, finding the sensitive spots that make him moan. He nuzzles her neck, finding the spots that make her melt. They're both scared to admit it but this is making love, not just sex, for both of them. Passions are kindled with painstaking care until they both become mindless. Her remaining clothes are yanked off, tearing a bit in the process as he rolls between her legs. Passion builds higher and higher until they both fly apart at the peak of passion.

LATER ON

The doorbell rings as they are raiding the 'fridge. They scramble for their clothes as Cat calls out, "Just a minute!"

Opening the door she finds Sam, Jack, Teal'c & the members of SG3 at her door carrying large amounts of alcohol. Jack is totally amused at her blush. Quirking an eyebrow, he drawls, "Are we interrupting something?"

She mutely shakes her head "no" steps back & lets them all in. Daniel appears in her bedroom doorway, bewildered at the noise. He grins as Jack launches a can of beer his way. Catching it, he cracks it open and takes a swallow. Sam is busy re-introducing Cat to the team that she will soon be joining.

Jack starts launching beers to the rest of the guys & soda to Teal'c. Cat is a bit embarrassed to have her new co-workers meet her when she's just been rolling around naked with her lover 5 minutes prior to them knocking on her door. Daniel seems to be OK with it all, chatting easily.

SG3 is a bit leery of her until she insults Jack in all 19 languages that she speaks without taking a breath. They applaud enthusiastically & then start regaling her with "war" stories of their previous adventures. She relaxes & begins to learn about her new team. Pizzas arrive soon after, and the whole crew stays until really late.

Cat is smiling happily as she closes the door behind them, "That went well. I'm going to enjoy working with them!"

Daniel is a bit jealous, "You seemed to be accepted by them pretty quickly."

She quirks an eyebrow at him, "Yeah right. They'll give me a whole ration of crap when I actually go off-world with them. They were just being polite since Jack & Colonel Woods were there."

She wraps her arms around his neck & starts to nibble at his lips. "Are you going to stay?"

He kisses her back & starts to steer her toward the bed, "What do you think?"

She grins & flips off the lights as they go through the doorway.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Things had been tough for Daniel and Cat in the past few weeks. They hadn't had very much time together as their team's down times rarely coincided. They'd managed to go out to dinner a couple of times and have brunch with Sam & Jack one Sunday. They've been joking about their relationship going in reverse.

To make matters worse, SG3 is 36 hours overdue. Their last message stated that they were uneasy about the natives and they might cut the visit short.

SG1 is in the process of gearing up to go find them when the wormhole engages. SG3 stumbles though, Colonel Mike Woods & Major Rick Todd supporting a bloody & filthy Cat between them. Captain Jesse Anderson appears last, covering their backs. Hammond puts in a call to the infirmary, Dr. Frasier hits the room at a dead run.

Daniel is panicked but trying to stay out of the way as he shifts around to try & see what is going on. Sam squeezes his arm as they wait to see what happened.

Frasier has Cat taken to the infirmary on a stretcher. As they pass Daniel and Sam, she struggles to sit up. "Wait! I need to talk to them! " The airmen pause briefly. She smiles at them. "Thanks" To Daniel and Sam, "I'm OK, I got the crap beat out of me, but nothing fatal. So don't worry, please?"

Daniel touches her hand, "I think I'm going to need to hear that from Dr. Frasier first."

Sam agrees, "We'll stop by later OK?"

General Hammond asks SG1 to attend SG3's debriefing.

Turns out that the planet is run by extremely aggressive females. The leaders decided that Cat didn't need three male 'slaves' and they challenged her to a battle for them. Woods tried to stop her, but there really wasn't any alternative choice for getting them all out safely. Cat won the fight with a 6 foot Amazon by the skin of her teeth, literally. She'd bitten the woman when she was held in a chokehold & managed to subdue her when she was still gasping in shock from the insult.

The General has planet is listed as hostile & taken off the dialing list. Woods asks for downtime for his whole team, which is granted. "We don't want to go back out until Cat has healed." He comments as he heads to the infirmary to check on her. SG3, Daniel & Sam follow him.

Fraiser tells the crowd that she has bruised ribs & a black eye but is basically OK. "Considering the beating she took, it could've been much worse.. We're keeping her overnight just in case, but then she should be able to go home. She's waiting for all of you, so go on in."

They troop in to find Cat sitting up in bed, looking better. Without the layer of dirt & blood, she looks almost her normal self. "Nice shiner, eh?" She laughs.

Woods looks her over carefully. "You OK, kiddo? You scared us pretty bad back there" Rick & Jesse murmur their agreements as they crowd around her.

"Yeah, I'll be OK. Did you all really want to have to 'service' those nasty wenches?" Her crew laughs and agrees that they wouldn't have wanted that. SG3 rehashes the fight, much to Daniel & Sam's horror. Mike's description to Hammond hadn't been so clear as to how bad of a battle it really was.

Cat realizing that they are starting to freak, looks at her team in entreaty. "Hey guys? Maybe we can do this later?" She gestures to the other two with a tilt of her head.

Mike grins as he backs up, "Yeah, we should let her get some, eh?"

Rick smirks as he high fives Jesse, "Yeah!" As they are leave, they promise to stop by before she goes home tomorrow.

Cat looks up at Sam who is frowning, "What? You've never had to kick the crap out of an Amazon?"

"No. What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Sam! It was the only way to get my team out safely!"

Daniel sits on the edge of her bed. "You scared us too you know."

She reaches for his hand & stretches out the other for Sam's. "Look, you both knew that this job is not exactly the safest thing I could choose to do. I can take care of myself & the guys are great. Why are you so worried?"

Daniel looks down at their clasped hands, "Because we can't be there for you as backup."

Sam grins, "Look, Daniel & I have pulled each other out of some bad stuff. We just don't want you to have to go through things like that."

Cat snorts, "PUH-leeze. I've already seen a Goa'uld up close & personal. No big thing!"

They start & stare at her, "Excuse me?"

She grins at them, "Classified!"

"All right wise ass, you can get away with that now." Sam smirks back at her. "If you can be that much of a pain, then you're OK. See you tomorrow?" She squeezes the hand she's still holding affectionately & heads for the door.

Daniel watches her leave & turns back to Cat. "Look", he falters. She sits up, wincing a bit & wraps her arms around him. He hugs her, trying to be careful of her ribs but needing to know that she's really with him. She cuddles close to him & they sit like that for a long time, saying nothing but communicating in all the unspoken ways that lovers do.

Janet comes in to check on her & stands watching them. Wrapped up in their own world, they are totally oblivious to her presence. She clears her throat, "Ahem!"

They pick their heads up & look at her. She smiles & announces, "Daniel, you have to let go of her so she can sleep for awhile."

Cat makes a face at Janet, who stares blandly back. Daniel sighs, kisses Cat gently & stands up. "See you in the morning?"

"Yup. Get some sleep will ya? You look as tired as I feel!" She laughs up at him.

He smiles back at her, and heads for the door. Janet watches him leave & closes the door behind him. "So you're the one, huh?"

Cat is confused, "One, what?"

Janet laughs, "The one who finally woke Daniel Jackson up to the real world!"

Cat frowns, "Still not following you."

Janet is totally amused, "You are perfect for him aren't you? He's been in mourning since his wife died a couple of years ago. Totally oblivious to any woman who is interested in him. Lately he's been more aware of stuff like that. We finally realized that he's been dating someone, but couldn't figure out who it is."

"Oh yeah, it's been tough with the conflicting schedules though. Probably why it's been hard to figure out. You're not going to broadcast this are you?" Cat is concerned.

"Why not?" Janet is busily checking Cat's eyes to see if she has a concussion.

"I'd like to keep my private life to myself if at all possible. SG1 & SG3 know, but I ... I hate to put my life on display, you know? Daniel is really important to me & I hate to have outside influences screw it up."

Janet cracks up, "You're not going to keep this quiet for very long, you know."

Cat grins weakly at her, "I know but I can try can't I?"

"All right, I won't broadcast it. Get some sleep, will you please?"

Cat groans but slides down into the bed & closes her eyes.

THE NEXT MORNING

Daniel & Jack wander into the infirmary looking for Cat. They find her standing with her shoulder propped against the wall while Dr. Frasier checks her bruised ribs. She's dressed in a skimpy bra with her pants unbuttoned & pushed down around her hips. She grins at them wearily, "Ten bucks a head for the peepshow, guys."

Jack reaches for his wallet grinning as Daniel pushes him out the door. "We'll be back when you're dressed."

Janet continues to check the bruising then hands Cat her shirt. "Take it really slow for a few days, OK? Then come back in & see me."

Cat shrugs into it, tucking the tails in & buttoning her pants. She grins, "Can I go Doc?"

Janet sighs, "Yes. You're as bad as the rest of them aren't you?"

Cat heads for the door not bothering to acknowledge the obvious. She finds Daniel alone, pacing in the corridor. "Hey, where's Jack? He owes me ten bucks!"

"Very funny. Can you go home?" Daniel is really worried, she is white as a sheet and her bruises look worse than they did yesterday.

She smirks at him. "Yes, I didn't sneak out."

"Do you want a ride home?"

"Actually, I have my bike here. Do you want to follow me home?"

Knowing better than to separate any member of the Brooks or Carter family from their Harley, he agrees. "Yeah, do you need groceries or anything?"

"Nope. I used Dr. Fraiser's computer & set up a PeaPod order to be delivered this afternoon."

He grins at her, "Good thinking. What about beer or wine?"

"Should be OK, I stocked up before I left for the mission. Meet you in the parking lot in 15?" He agrees and she heads for her lab to pick up her keys & helmet. On the way she runs into Sam, Jack & Teal'c.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

Sam frowns, "We were on our way to see you. How are you doing?"

"Better, ribs are sore though. I'll have to watch out for nosy Mrs. Jones next door when I get home. She's going to think that Daniel beats me or something." She grins & turns to Jack. "Hey where's my ten bucks?"

He grins at her, "My time got cut short!"

She laughs as Sam tries to figure out what they are talking about. Cat decides to take off before she gets killed. "Shoot ! I'm meeting Daniel in the parking lot in 5, gotta run!"

"Hey!" Sam is exasperated.

Cat calls over her shoulder, "Why don't you all come over for dinner tonight?"

Mike rounds the corner at that moment, "Are we invited too?"

"Yup, bring the guys." Louder to SG1 "Seven, OK with you?"

She swings through her lab, scoops up her stuff & heads for the parking lot at a dead run. Daniel is leaning on his car, which is parked next to her bike. "You don't have to run you know."

She grins at him, "Got in the habit as an undergrad & still haven't managed to break it." Serious now she says, " I invited our teams over for dinner tonight. Do you mind?"

Daniel frowns, "Our teams?"

She tenses a bit, "Yeah SG1 & SG3"

"Maybe I should stop & get more beer then. You can never have too much with them around."

Relaxing, she smiles at him, "Then it's OK?"

"Cat, it's fine. Why are you so worried?" Daniel is really confused.

"Long story. Look I'll tell you at my place OK? See you there?" She starts to get on the bike.

Gently, he stops her & pulls her into his arms. "Hey. Are we OK? What just happened?"

She's shaking and snuggles into his arms. "Old baggage, we're OK." Seeing he doesn't believe her, she smiles at him. "Really, I'll explain I swear." As her teammates start to cat-call at them from across the parking lot. She waves & flips them off " Just not here."

They meet up at Cat's & Daniel immediately sits her down & asks "What happened in the parking lot?"

Cat smiles at him sadly, "I got spooked, OK? I haven't been in a normal, healthy relationship in so long that I get nervous that I am going to screw 'us' up. My last 'fling' was two years ago. If I made plans without checking with him first, he went off the deep end."

Daniel frowns, thinking, "Do you think I am like that?"

"No. Look, sometimes when you are sleeping, you call me Shar'e. She's a part of you, just like this baggage is part of me."

He's shocked, "I don't. Do I?"

She touches his face, "Yes. Do you remember a few weeks ago you caught me crying & I wouldn't tell you why? The night before was the first time you called me by her name."

He pulls her onto his lap & hugs her, "Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It hurt me a lot", she finds it hard to admit it out loud. "But you can't help where your mind goes when you are asleep."

The doorbell rings interrupting them. The PeaPod delivery is here. The food is hauled in by the delivery guy who is very happy with the tip she gives him. He peers at her black eye & glares at Daniel accusingly.

Cat laughs " I fell off my motorcycle." Gestures toward her face, "He had nothing to do with this, honestly."

He is not convinced, but just then Jack & Teal'c arrive. Cat introduces Teal'c as her step-brother. She then asks the delivery man, "Do you really think Daniel would be in one piece if he punched me?"

She gets a laugh & a negative shake of his head as he leaves.

Teal'c is confused, "What is a step-brother?"

Daniel explains, "A step brother is one who is related by marriage, not blood. Or in this case, by affection, rather than actual bonds."

Teal'c inclines his head, "I would be honored to be your step-brother Catherine Brooks."

"Good, the first thing you can do as my step-brother is start calling me Cat. Catherine Brooks is very stuffy."

"Very well, if that is your wish. Cat." She smiles at him.

Jack starts to pile the beer into the cooler Cat has filled with ice on the floor. She begins to load the food into her cabinets & fridge.

"Hey, will one if you guys light the grill? There is charcoal & stuff in the storage room outside" Cat has way too many males underfoot in her little kitchen.

Jack & Teal'c head for the porch. Daniel grabs her hand & swings her around to face him. "Are we OK? We really need to talk about this more, you know."

She looks him straight in the eye & says, "Yes, we do need to talk. We're OK, for now."

As she starts to turn away from him, he stops her. "Cat? This is important to me." He pauses, "You are important to me. I think..." He stops shaken at what he was about to say.

She grins at him, "Baby, you think all the time. Is this a new revelation for you?"

He looks at her, stunned. "No, but I just realized that." He takes a deep breath and starts again, " That I think I'm falling in love with you."

Tensing her shoulders, she stops & looks at him, "Are you sure?"

Taking another deep breath, he nods. He's scared, he can't read her reaction.

She relaxes, "Good, because I've been falling in love with you since I met you. I thought you didn't feel the same way."

Jack walks in at that moment, "Took you two long enough. Where are the matches?"

They look at him. Daniel recovers first, "This from a guy who's been in love with his 2IC for three years & finally did something about it a couple of months ago?"

He wraps his arms around Cat as she points to a ceramic jar, "Matches are over there." She cuddles up to Daniel as they watch Jack leave. They can hear him talking to Teal'c, "Idiots just figured out that they love each other."

Teal'c amused answer cracks them up, "At least they acted on their feelings sooner than you and Major Carter did."

The doorbell rings, Cat answers it & lets Sam in. Sam peers at her, "Have you been crying?" Behind her, SG3 arrives.

"What's up? Are you hurt?" Mike, Rick & Jesse are ready to rip Daniel to pieces.

Cat puts a hand on her CO's chest, "Mike, it's OK. We just hit the 'major feelings for each other' point." She turns to the rest of her team, "I'm OK, really. Chicks always cry when you talk about love, so be nice to him for me OK?"

They are still unsure, "If you say so."

"We were using the 'L' word." She grins at them. "It's a big deal for me."

"Oh shit," Mike suddenly groans. "Does that mean we have to break in another translator?"

She's puzzled, "No, why?"

Jesse laughs & punches Rick, "No wedding bells yet. We get to keep her for awhile."

Daniel yells from the kitchen, "HEY! One step at a time here, will ya relax?!"

Cat grins, "He's freaked out enough right now that he said the 'L' word. Don't start about the ball & chain thing."

Mike laughs, "Oh, a sore point for him, eh?"

She punches him, "With ME you blockhead! So back off!"

The whole group laughs as they head inside. Sam heads out to the porch to investigate the fire that Jack & Teal'c are usual, Jack has used WAY too much starter and the fire is shooting at least 5 feet above the grill. He grins proudly at her as she laughs.

"Look Sam, I made a BIG fire!"

"Nice Jack, but we're going to have to wait for that to die down a bit before we can cook anything", she is totally amused at how proud he is. The teams hang out for hours drinking beer and chatting. Eventually the fire gets low enough for them to grill steaks. Everyone gorges themselves on huge amounts of food. It gets late and they all start to straggle out the door toward their own beds.

Daniel turns to Cat as the last of the group leaves, "So do you want me to go home?"

She cuddles up to him, "No, I'm going to need you with me when the nightmares start."

He tilts her face up to him, "Nightmares?"

She has a tough time meeting his gaze, "Yeah, I had some pretty awful ones last night."

"Babe, look at me. Please?"

She slowly raises her eyes to his and he is shocked to see the depth of pain in them.

"Cat? What did you dream about?"

"I dreamed that I had you with me & I lost the fight." She starts to stutter, " They did. Thhh-things. To you that I can't. It was horrible. I need to be able to touch you when I wake up so I know it wasn't real."

Daniel hugs her to his chest & just rocks her. "It's just a dream. I'm right here. Just hang onto me. I love you."

She smiles into his chest, "I love you too."


End file.
